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This one should work (Hopefully) though it’s hard to read as file is so small now
Hi Jacqui. Looks very nice.
Will try to attach photo from my pruning and training book. Hope I’m not infringing anything as its not for commercial purposes.
JanI had some doubles last year. Was late to get around to thinning and plants grew away. Didn’t seem to be a lot of difference in the growth of doubles and singles so I thinned some and left some just to see. One thing I did notice is that when it came to pollination there was a ‘forest’of leaves between the tassels and silks which impeded pollen transfer somewhat. Didn’t help that it was very windy when the pollen was ready which stripped the plants of the ‘dangly bits’. Had to try to hand pollinate with some of my neighbours. Anyway, upshot was I had incompletely filled cobs, which may have been from shielding or wind.
Net the bed. Should deter both fox and cat.
Think leaves should be ok unless directly pooped on. Maybe remove outer leaves as precaution. Think sunlight would degrade most pathogens over time, but I’m not a biologist so don’t take as gospel.
JanWhoops. Thinish layer, not later.
You didn’t specify whether the manure was fresh or well rotted (about 18 months old). If it were me and you had some well rotted manure I would create and plant a few beds now and concentrate on doing those really well, rather than spread what may be a limited resource too thin and being disappointed. That way you’ll be delighted by your success and keen to do more. Should you have sufficient manure I would spread a thinish later on the rest of the patch and re-lay your tarps over it so the soil bugs can start improving your soil while the weeds are dying down. However, if you have lots – go for it!
A couple more things: test your manure first for the presence of aminopyralid, a persistent weedkiller. Nothing more soul destroying than having your lovely crops shrivelling after laying compost.
Secondly, you can make use of all those strimmed weeds in a compost heap if you have sufficient to get it hot enough to kill the seeds.
Good luck
JanSimilar thing on my friend’s allotment. Aphids had arrived at the beginning of the month and were crawling with ants as they do. There’s a communal ‘compost’ bin next to his plot and, amazingly, I noticed some ladybird larvae scurrying around the bin edges. Someone had obviously dumped some waste on there with them in. Needless to say they were soon re-housed. Must have been over 50 in total. I just worried about the ants seeing them off.
Was around again yesterday evening to find all but the bed with an ant’s nest in it totally clear. What’s more there were several pupae on the leaves and the bed edges. That’s the next generation sorted then!
Only down side is that they were harlequin larvae, not native ones.
Ain’t nature great.
JanGreat isn’t it. Leaves you feeling a huge sense of achievement.
I heard somewhere that they need a period of chilling to induce them to split, hence planting before winter. Obviously as you have some big fat cloves on others that can’t be the only factor in play.
As Derek, I too preferred the previous website, but as he says, your call
I totally agree with Christine. This forum has been wonderful over the years. Especially getting an answer from Charles and others when we may be straying a bit or perplexed. It spreads happiness. The search facility is invaluable for finding answers without reposting. Like the others I’m not on any social media and find it so,so sad that this once great forum has declined. The old stalwarts seem to have disappeared and new queries are sometimes unanswered. Heartbreaking. Please can everyone try to bring it back.
I first came across Charles four years ago when a customer (I had a shop) ordered Country Smallholding from me and said I could read it. I found Charles’ articles amazing and looked up his website. Since then it has gone through many transformations, each glossier than the last but the forum was always there, like unwrapping a vast jewel of knowledge. And finding kindred spirits. Without the forum I would only have just heard about aminopyralid instead of being aware for a couple of years, and would probably have never been on a Homeacres course. Come on guys, please don’t lose it.
JanWow,never seen that before. How crushing. Can’t tell whether it’s compost or droppings in the area near the stem. I know of various moth species who spin webs but I can’t see anything has been nibbled. The other classic is red spider mite that makes webs, but as I haven’t got a polytunnel or greenhouse I’ve never seen it ‘in the flesh’. Hopefully someone else will know exactly what it is.
Good luck
Jan